Police, Camera, Action Leslie Nielsen As the (Relatively) Straight-Faced Detective Frank Drebin

police, camera, action Leslie Nielsen as the (relatively) straight-faced Detective Frank Drebin 76 • Rolling Stone, July-August 2011 REWIND shows that missed the middle east Police Squad! How the adventures of Detective Frank Drebin survived a network’s wrath, and spawned one of comedy’s greatest franchises BY MATT ROSS he first ‘naked gun’ film and that much would pass them by if they If anything, Police Squad! was too regularly tops polls of the best weren’t glued to the screen from start to clever for its own good. The deadpan prin- comedy movies of all time. But finish. It was one of the strangest reasons cipal cast treated audiences with the ut- while the slapstick adventures for cancelling a show ever recorded. most respect, and credited them with Tof Detective Frank Drebin and his fellow Which is not to say that they didn’t have enough intelligence to be able to tell when cops have yielded some of the most en- a point. Look away for a moment, and many a joke was being made. The show was also during moments in cinematic history, the of the best gags that Police Squad! had to not shy about poking fun at itself. Char- movie (and its admittedly less successful offer were gone in a heartbeat. Whether it acters often, and repeatedly, broke the sequels) would never have existed without was the stock footage of the Roman Colos- fourth wall. Ed Williams, who played res- the short-lived ABC series Police Squad!, seum showing behind Drebin’s car as he ident scientist Ted Olsen, would let other which gave the filmmaking trio of Jim drove through Little Italy – he’d also drive characters walk through doorways, then Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zuck- stroll around the edge of the set to meet er their first chance to experiment with up with them on the other side. Even the spoofing classic cop serials like Dragnet show’s closing credits were reflexive. Each and The New Breed. episode would end on a suitably cheesy The three filmmakers had successful- one-liner, at which point the actors would ly lampooned the humble disaster movie strike a pose, aping the traditional freeze- in 1980 with the now seminal Airplane! frame ending of cop serials of the time. While the movie was universally laud- But the Police Squad! cast would simply ed, special praise was heaped upon Les- try to keep as still as possible for as long lie Nielsen for his deadpan portrayal of as it took the credits to roll (in one memo- Dr. Barry Rumack, whose “Don’t call me rable episode, a captured crook takes this Shirley” routine quickly became the mov- opportunity to escape). ie’s unofficial catchphrase. Abrahams and Sadly, the sheer comedic intensity that the Zuckers quickly realized they’d struck makes the show such a joy to watch now- comedy gold, so when they were devel- First Broadcast: 1982 on ABC adays was deemed alienating to casual oping Police Squad!, they didn’t think Created by: Jim Abrahams, David viewers, and ABC allowed just two fur- twice about casting Nielsen – who had, Zucker, Jerry Zucker ther episodes to air. Initial plans to make until Airplane!, been forging a career as a Starring: Leslie Nielsen, Alan North, the series into a movie stalled and, for all skilled dramatic actor – as the show’s lead. Peter Lupus, Ed Williams intents and purposes, Police Squad! was Though Nielsen’s Drebin was intended to gone forever. be the series’ ‘straight man’ amid the ram- With hindsight, it’s clear that Abra- pant silliness, the skill with which he bal- in reverse if he was on his way ‘back’ to the hams and the Zuckers were right, not the anced faux-drama and occasional, bril- office – the chalk outlines of Egyptian pha- ABC execs. Audiences were a lot more ac- liant flashes of absurdity remains Police raohs, or the elevator stopping at a swim- cepting than the network gave them cred- Squad!’s most celebrated hallmark. ming pool while the principal characters it for, and in 1988, Frank Drebin returned Debuting in March 1982, the series obliviously continued discussing the case, in The Naked Gun: From the Files of Po- appeared to be a resounding success. If there was as much (if not more) going on in lice Squad! Though the majority of the cast the critical appreciation wasn’t enough, the background than there was front and was changed – Nielsen, Williams and the then the two Emmy nominations suggest- center. The slew of visual gags was not only faceless character of Al were the only sur- ed that the same inimitable goofiness that relentless, it began from the outset of each vivors from the TV show – the trademark had made Airplane! such a success, was episode. The opening credits, which con- blend of non-sequiturs, visual gags, inge- alive and well on the small screen. The sist of the now-legendary squad car, would nious double entendres and unashamed only people who didn’t seem to appreci- introduce a special guest star, who was silliness was as popular with viewers as ate the show, however, were the executives immediately killed off. The episode title ever. Several of the gags were even recy- allo G at ABC. In a move that baffled everyone would flash up, but the announcer would cled wholesale, and would subsequent- from fans to TV magazines, the network read a different name. Even something as ly go down in the annals of comedy histo- cancelled Police Squad! after just four mundane as introducing the actors was ry. Without those six, priceless episodes, episodes. According to the commentary interspersed with a shot of Rex Harrison it’s doubtful that Frank Drebin would on the show’s eventual DVD release, the playing a gun-toting Abraham Lincoln – ever have become the comic behemoth he heavyweights at ABC felt Police Squad! de- neither Hamilton nor Lincoln featured in is today. And the world would be an alto- abc photo archive/Getty/ photo abc manded too much attention from viewers, the show in any way, shape or form. gether less hilarious place. Rolling Stone, July-August 2011 • 77.

Load more